Sonvilier
Origin of the name Sonvilier
The village appears in 1298 as « Sunuilier », then in 1307 as « Sonvelier ». The meaning of the name has not been explained.[1]
Founding of Sonvilier
Sonvilier is clustered above the Suze, in the upper part of the Vallon de Saint-Imier, while scattered farms occupy the Montagnes du Droit and de l'Envers. The municipality also includes La Chaux-d'Abel. A noble family of the place is recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the ruins of Erguël castle, seat of the lords of Arguel, overlook the village to the south-east. Sonvilier was part of the lordship of Erguël, a territory of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, and depended on Saint-Imier for worship. The largest municipality of the Erguël, it grew in the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to two cottage industries, lacemaking and watchmaking.[1]
History of Sonvilier
11th-13th century. The lords of Arguel, or Erguël, have their castle south-east of the village.[1]
1298. First mention, as « Sunuilier ».[1]
13th-14th century. A noble family bears the name of the village.[1]
16th century. The Bishop of Basel begins to grant the village mills as fiefs, half a dozen in all.[1]
1797-1813. Under French rule Sonvilier belongs to the department of Mont-Terrible, then to that of Haut-Rhin.[1]
1815. The village joins the canton of Bern, first in the bailiwick, then in the district of Courtelary.[1]
1832. The Reformed church is inaugurated.[1]
1843. Fritz Marchand, of Sonvilier, founds the Swiss philanthropic society L'Union.[1]
1855. The burgher and municipal communes separate.[1]
1871. The Fédération jurassienne is founded at Sonvilier. Bakunin gives three lectures at the Hôtel de la Balance.[1]
1874. The Biel/Bienne-Les Convers line links the village to the railway network.[1]
1895. The canton buys the Pré-aux-Bœufs estate, first as an educational home for boys.[1]
1905. A Mennonite chapel is built at La Chaux-d'Abel.[1]
1931. The Pré-aux-Bœufs becomes a home for people in difficulty.[1]
1930s and 1970s. The watchmaking crises hit the village's small firms, which specialised in springs, cases, jewels, nickel plating or finishing.[1]
Population of Sonvilier
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1818 | 1'513 |
| 1850 | 2'276 |
| 1860 | 2'885 |
| 1900 | 2'341 |
| 1950 | 1'580 |
| 2000 | 1'158 |
| 2025 | 1'229 |
Historic sites in Sonvilier
Reformed church. Inaugurated in 1832.[1]
Hôtel de la Balance. Where Bakunin gave three lectures in 1871.[1]
Mennonite chapel of La Chaux-d'Abel. Built in 1905.[1]
Ruins of Erguël castle. Ruins south-east of the village, former seat of the lords of Arguel.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sonvilier » (Christine Gagnebin-Diacon), version du 13.02.2023
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Sonvilier
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